Certain refrigerator appliances include autofill dispensing systems for dispensing water and/or other liquids automatically into a container or receptacle. Autofill dispensing system allow users to place a container, such as a pitcher, into a refrigerator appliance's designated autofill dispensing area such that the container can be filled with liquid automatically. In this manner, autofill dispensing systems provide convenience to users.
Conventional autofill containers have fixed liquid fill levels. Meaning, when a container is placed into an autofill dispensing area and filled with liquid, the container is filled to about the same level each time. Certain conventional autofill containers have used a float mechanism encased within the container to determine when a liquid fill level has been obtained. The float mechanism includes a floating switch. When the float mechanism is displaced upward as the water level rises during filling, the floating switch indicates that the liquid fill level has been obtained and the autofill dispenser ceases dispensing liquid into the container. The liquid fill level, however, is typically not adjustable for this type of autofill container. Accordingly, users are unable to adjust the liquid fill level to fit their individual needs.
Attempts at providing adjustment for the liquid fill level include systems that utilize liquid level sensors. However, typical liquid level sensors, such as infrared sensors, still require the use of a float mechanism encased within the container. Float mechanisms undesirably occupy space within the container. Other sensor types, such as liquid flow rate sensors in combination with time sensors, may be unreliable in that they cannot sense the amount of liquid in the container when it is placed in the dispensing area. Consequently, additional sensors are required.
Therefore, an improved autofill dispensing system is needed. In particular, an autofill system capable of adjusting the liquid fill level of a container is desirable.